Centrifugal separator.



J. J. BERRIGAN.

GENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

APPLIGATION FILED 111111. 6, 190a. RENEWED MAY 17, 1911.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

J. J. BERRIGAN.

GENTBIFUGAL SEPARATOR. APPLIOATIOH FILED MAE. 6, 1908. RENEWED MAY 17, 1911.

1,013,,1 1 3. v Patented Jan. 2,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

inventor:

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JOHN J'. BERRIGAN, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO FRANCIS J. AREND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND JOHN BERNSTROM, OF STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN.

GENTRIFUG'AL SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2,1912.

Application filed March. 6, 1908, Serial No. 419,485. Renewed May 17, 1911. Serial No. 627,857.

enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to centrifugal separators for separatingsolids and liquids through the agency of centrifugal force.

My said apparatus comprises means for converting a body of mixed solid and liquid materials into an annulus, and for moving the solid material progressively toward one end of the annulus and thence toward the axis of rotation, together with means for continuously supplying the mixture of solid and liquid materials to said annulus; and my invention also comprises other features hereinafter described and more particularly point-ed out in the appended claims.

In the treatment of certain materials in centrifugal separators it is found that retary conveyors such as required to move the solid material inward, if operated at the same speed near the point where the mixture to be separated is delivered into the machine, as is desirable at points where the solid material has been separated from the greater portion of the liquid initially mixed with it, the churning of the mixture at and near the point of supply of the material neutralizes to great extent the separating action, making separation at this point (where the greater portion of the separation should be done) relatively slow and difficult. This is true, for example, in the separation of starch, and of sodium bicarbonate. To obviate this difficulty I- provide, according to my present invention, means for operating the conveyer working at and near the point of supply of the material, at a lower rate of speed than the conveyer operating in the region where separation has already been accomplished to a great extent. I

In the accompanying drawings I illustrate certain types of machines operating in this manner.

In said drawings: Figure'l shows a vertical longitudinal section of a horizontal type of machine andv Fig. 2 shows a transverse section thereof on the line mm of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a central vertical section of a vertical type of machine. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the scraper blades.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 designates a substantially horizontal cylinder within which are the working parts of the machine. On the head 2 of said cylinder is a hollow trunnion'received in a bearing in the fixed standard 3. On the opposite head 4 of said cylinder is :2 hollow trunnion 5 which is received in bearing resting on the fixed standard 6. Standards 3 and 6 rest upon the bed 7 of the machine. driving pulley 8 is fast upon the cylinder trunnion 5. Power is communicated to said pulley by suitable belt (not shown) and in that way cylinder 1 is caused to rotate. 9 is the feed hopper supported on bracket 10, extending from standard 3.

The combined solid and liquid materials to be separated are conveyed into the cylinder 1 by means of a screw conveyor 11 the shaft of which is supported at one end in a bearing on the bracket 10, and carries the sprocket wheel 12. The other end of said conveyor shaft is stepped in a wall of a chamber 13 formed upon the inside of the head 2, which chamber by means of the inclined duct 14 communicates with the interior of cylinder 1.

in the head 4, and has another bearing, 20,

on the inner shaft, 15. Said inner shaft, 15, has a bearing at 21 on the outer shaft, 16, and another. bearing, at 22, in the end of chamber 13.

In the present instance the cylinder 1 is cylindrical, and provided with a plurality of transverse partitions 23, which, in the construction shown are conical; and said partitions have in them central openings 24 through which shafts 15 and 16 pass and which are sufficiently larger than the outer shaft, 16, to permit the free passage of the material being acted on. These partitions divide the interior of drum or cylinder 1 The into a number of separating chambers, each s these chambers being arranged in series to receive the material acted on one from another, said material being treated successively, therefore, in the different chambers.

titions constitute discharge ports for solid material, permitting the solid material to be passed from one chamber to the next; the last chamber leading to a discharge passage 28 extending through the shell of drum 1 and opening into an annular delivery chamber, 29. Annular delivery chambers 30 receive the liquid discharged through ports 27 and a further annular delivery chamber, 31, receives liquid discharged through port 26.

On shaft 15 are arms 32 carrying conveyer blades 33, and on shaft 16 are arms 34 carrying conveyer blades 35, one set for each of the inclined or conical partitions 23 and adapted to carry solid material up the inclined surfaces of such partitions toward the axis of rotation and the discharge openings 24. In the normal operation of the machine, the drum 1 is rotated by belt wheel 8 at a speed sufficient to convert the material delivered to it from chute let into an annular wall against the sides of said drum and to produce the desired tendency for the solid material to separate from the liquid material; and the conveyer shafts 15 and 16 are rotated in the same direction as drum 1, but at lesser rates of speed, so that their conveyer blades tend to move solid material in the annulus against the side of the drum, toward the left-hand end of the machine'.(as the same is viewed in Fig. 1). The material received in the first separating chamber, 25, from supply. chute 14, upon reaching the side of drum 1 forms concentric annuli of solid matter and liquid matter, the solid annulus being outside the liquid annulus when (as is usually the case) the solid material is the heavier. The separation thus effected, while not complete, is sufiicient to give the solid material body so that'--it may be moved toward the left by' the first conveyer (viz., that of shaft 15) and then may be picked up by the first conveyer of the outer shaft, 16,- and caused to move up along the surface of the first cone, 23, and through the central outlet 24 therein into the second chamber of drum 1, whence centrifugal force causes such solid material, now nearly free from moisture, to form an annulus against the portion of the walls of cylinder 1 within said second chamber. In this second chamber there is a further separation, the liquid flowing out through port 27 and the solid material being carried up the surface of the second cone 23 and so into the next chamber, by the second set of conveyer blades on shaft 16. And in the third chamber there is a further separation, (which, in the instance shown, is the last), the material being delivered finally into discharge passage 28. As many of these conical partitions 23 may be provided as may be desired or as the material treated may require.

As above stated, in. the treatment of certain materials it is found that if the conveyer acting on the material in the annulus which forms in the cylindrical portion of the first separating chamber, 25, be rotated at the same speed relative to drum 1 as the conveyers which move the solid material up the first cone 23, the churning of the mixture due to such rapid relative movement of the conveyer neutralizes to a great extent the separating effect of centrifugal force, preventing separation .to the desired extentin this first chambeia, There is no real occasion for revolving the first set of con-' veyer blades of the machine at a high s aeed relatii e to that of the drum, for tiese blades have merely to move the solid material to the left, in a direction parallel 'to the axis of rotation, so as to advance such solid material toward the first cone 23 and to displace theliquid and cause it to move toward the discharge port 26. Therefore according to my present invention I provide means for moving this first set of conveyer blades, 33, at a relatively slow rate of speed with respect to drum 1, and for moving the other conveyer blades at a relatively higher rate of speed with respect to drum 1 (though actually blades 33 will rotate, relative-to fixed objects, faster than blades 35 To this end I provide the two shafts, 15 and 16, shaft 15 carrying the slower blades, 33, and shaft 16 the faster blades, 35. These two shafts may be driven 1n any suitable manner; but in general, it is best, to provide means, such as shswn, for driving each shaft independently of the other and of the drum, so that the speed of each shaft may be regulated, relative to that of the drum, to give the best effect on the particular material treated.

It is important to avoid formation of a ring ofsolid material in the space between the two conveyers, and at the same time it is practically necessary to provide a certain amount of clearance between the two con-' veyers, as the conveyer blades are apt to be distorted somewhat while in operation. 0 this end I provide the first set of blades of the second conveyer with extension lips 36 (Fig. 4) which extend into the space through which the last set of blades 33 travel, though on a slightly larger diameter,

blades 33 and cause and so lap the said blades 33 and serve to undercut any ridge of material left by the the same to be fed onward.

' My invention is not restricted to horizontal machines; and in general it is, in principle, substantially immaterial-whether machines such as these be arranged vertically or horizontally, though certain mechanical (renditions limit the height and permissible diameter of vertical machines, so that in general, for machines of large capacity, the

horii'o'ntal arrangement is preferable.

In Fig. 3 I show one form of vertical machine having my invention applied thereto, the same comprising a bowl 37 corresponding to drum 1, and arranged to he rotated by a shaft 38. Within said bowl are conical partitions 39, open near the center. There are two concentric conveyer shafts, 40 and 41. The material treated is delivered into the bowl at 42, and liquid escapes for moving solid material axially and then toward the axis comprising separate conyeyers operating at different speeds relative to the speed of the chamber.

2. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotary separating chamber provided with means for forming annuli oi materials of difierent specific gravity, and withnneans for moving one of such materials axially and then toward the axis comprising separate conveyers operating at different. speeds relative to the speed of said chamber.

3. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotary separating chamber and a plurality of separate conveyers therein arranged to be driven at diiferent speeds. 4. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotary separating chamber and a plurality of separateconveyers and concentric shafts therefor.

5. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotary separating chamber and a plurality of separate conveyers therein arranged to be driven at difierent speeds, one of said conveyers having blades lapping the blades of the adjacent conveyer. f

e. A centrifugal separator comprisin a rotary separating chamber and a plurality of separate conveyers be driven at different speeds,

therein arranged to conveyers having blades which undercut one of said 65 material beyond the blades of the other conveyer.

7. A rotary drum provide transverse centrally-apertured partitions dividing it into a plurality of chambers, said drum comprising means for supplying to centrifugal se arator comprising a with a plurality of 70 one of said chambers material to be separated, tion of such material axially from chamber to chamber, comprising a plurality of separate conveyers arranged to be operated at dilierent speeds, the lower-speed conveyer and means for moving the'thicker por-' located in that chamber into which the material is first fed, the higher'speed conveyer comprising conveying means insuch first chamber and in other chambers as well.

8. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotary drum provided with a plurality of transverse centrally-apertured partitions dividing it into a plurality of chambers, said drum comprising means for supplying to one of said chambers material to be sepaportion of such material axially from chamber to chamber, comprising a plurality of separate conveyers arrange to be operated at difierent speeds, veyer located in that 4 the material is first fed, the higher speed 'conve er compnsing conveying means in such rst chamber and in other chambers a well, arranged in cooperative relationship to'said partitions and adapted to feed material radially as well as axially.

9. A centrifugal rotary drum provided with a plurality of transverse centrally-apertured partitions dividing it into a plurality of chambers, said partitions being conical, said drum comprisin means for supplying to one of said cham ers material to be separated, and. means for moving the thicker portion of such material axially from chamber to chamber, comprising a plurality of separate conveyers arranged to be operated at the lower-speed con-.

chamber into which rated, and means for moving the thicker 90 separator comprising a Y difierent speeds, the lower-speed conveyer located in that chamber into which thematerial is first fed, the higher speed conveyer comprising conveying means in such first chamber and in other chambers as well, located in cotiperative relationship to such conical partitions and adapted to feed material up such partitions.

In testimony whereof I have affixedmy signature, "in the presence of two witnesses.

, JOHN J. BERRIGAN. Witnesses: v

H.-M. MARBLE, FRANK E. Barnum- 

